Blood Ties
by pikachucutie17
Summary: This was the stake in life he was given. He could only keep room in his heart for Bolin. Another person would simply tear it out. But training with her had made Mako forget that rule. He needed Korra in his life, but it was too late. Legend of Korra/Attack on Titan AU


_This was something I wrote for the Makorra Spring Project, which you can find through the Tumblr user makorrayear, who ran this project. Give a big thanks to the mods or this fic would have never happened. =) This is a little rough because I didn't have much time for details and edits when trying to get it done in time for the deadline (I wrote 8,000 words in a little over a week I still can't believe it). This is an Attack on Titan AU where none of the characters are benders, but they still reside in the original nations in the show. All nations have walls, but the Earth Kingdom was hit the hardest when Wall Kyoshi fell. None of the Korra characters completely fit the exact story arcs of characters from Attack on Titan, so the backstories are mixed and mashed between all of them. There is one plot-related spoiler towards the end if you're not reading the manga. You have been warned. Please enjoy all the Makorra goodness!_

* * *

The blazing sun hung high over the heads of the cadets, leaving sweat on their brow from the sheer heat and trying not to be picked apart by the intimidating instructor before them. The man stalked through their ranks, analyzing each of them carefully. A few unlucky souls, the nervous ones, were tested and picked apart.

Mako kept his face forward, but couldn't help keeping his gaze on his younger brother as the instructor selected him to be an example for the rest of the cadets.

"What's your name and why are you here?" instructor Tenzin shouted, towering over the young boy.

"Sir! I'm Bolin! I was born and raised in Hu Tuo! And let me just say it is so exciting to meet you because I've heard so much about your military experience-" Bolin began to babble excitedly.

Mako internally sighed.

"I didn't ask for flattery, cadet! Answer the question," Tenzin barked sternly, his eye twitching.

"Oh right, sorry! I want to be a soldier because Mako thought it would be a good way for us to earn respect and contribute to society," he answered confidently. "Plus we heard you guys gave us free food."

"You only get the food if you earn it. Third squad, about face!" Tenzin commanded, likely having enough conversation from the eager recruit. The row simultaneously turned to face the remaining rows that had yet to be tested.

As Tenzin continued making his rounds, Mako hardened his gaze. If confronted, he would answer the interrogations straightforwardly. However, he hoped that Bolin's chattiness did not harm his chances at making the top ranks. The both of them had the promises of athletic ability after years surviving on the streets, but the military was their only chance to escape that life. Reaching the ranks of the Military Police would guarantee his brother and him security for the rest of their lives.

That way, they would never have to see those monsters again. Not again.

The instructor reappeared in his peripheral vision and Mako inhaled a deep breath through his nostrils, pushing back the haunting memories. He stared forward, resisting the urge to adjust his red scarf, and noticed a strange scene. Tenzin passed right by a girl with wavy, raven black hair without any hesitation.

 _Huh_ , he wondered. _What's her deal?_

When her row turned, Mako was surprised. Her face was slender and her eyes bright green, a pretty sight. But her demeanor and expression seemed polite and proper, not intimidating like he expected. Why would Tenzin pass by someone like her?

At that moment, Instructor Tenzin passed in front of him, his tall figure casting a shadow over his lean frame. Mako didn't flinch. Once the girl returned to his sight, she blinked once, noticing Mako's stare. The corner of her mouth rose slightly, almost as if the attention he unintentionally gave her was amusing. Mako had no time to respond before he heard Tenzin's command to turn.

Trying not to get flustered over accidentally staring at a stranger, Mako stood up straighter. Hopefully he could actually introduce himself later so she didn't think he was a complete weirdo.

"You! What's your name," Tenzin's interrogation rang across the ranks.

"My name is Korra! I'm from Shui in the Southern Water Tribe!" a voice responded confidently.

Mako set his sights on the girl Tenzin was towering over. Her darkened skin shimmered in sweat. Blue and white bands held her long, brown hair in loose pigtails, framing her face. A cocky smile was set upon her lips, something Mako didn't often see in people in recent years.

Then her eyes. Her eyes.

They were an ocean blue, so clear and bright that they shone like a glittering bay at sunrise. Mako let out the smallest exhale in awe.

 _Korra_. . .

" _Why are you here_?"

Mako nearly leapt in the air like a cat, snapped out of his daze by Commander Tenzin's demand.

"Because I'm going to kill every single Titan!" Korra declared boldly.

A hush fell over the silent cadets. Mako heard a scoff sound near him.

 _She can't be serious. Everyone knows that there's too many of them._

"And what makes you think you can kill every Titan?" Tenzin asked, his tone unamused.

"I've beaten everyone I've ever fought. The Titans won't be any different," Korra said, the fire in her eyes flashing.

"With that careless attitude, you'll be a Titan's breakfast on your first mission!" Tenzin shouted, attempting to break through her confidence. Every student needed to understand the realities of enlisting in the army and this girl seemed to relish fighting. Mako guessed that she had never seen a Titan before. No one could look at one without the least bit of fear being struck into their hearts.

"Then I'll just have to be faster than those oversized bullies," Korra decided, cocking her head to the side.

"I'll be the one to determine if you're fast eno-" Tenzin halted. He leaned in closely to scrutinize Korra. She gave the instructor a perplexed look.

"What's your problem?"

"What exactly is that white powder on your cheek?" Tenzin started in a dangerous tone.

"What?" Korra swiped her cheek with her right hand and examined the powder in question. "Oh that, I just found a fancy bun just lying around."

"Where exactly did you find it 'lying around'?" Tenzin interrogated. Mako could make out a faint pink tinge forming across his shaven head.

"In one of the buildings. I was lost and thought that I was in a cabin at first," Korra responded casually, shrugging her shoulders.

"That sweet bun was from my wife and can only be found in my office!" Tenzin bellowed, his face turning completely red.

The silence of the field was deafening. Mako's jaw nearly dropped. An 'oh you're in trouble' sound rang clearly from Bolin. A vein made itself clearly visible on the side of Tenzin's head, his grey blue eyes twitching.

"Heh. . . Whoops," Korra flustered, giving a nervous smile. "If it means anything, she's great at baking. Maybe we can share next time she sends you some pastries?"

* * *

"Wow, that Korra girl is still running! She must have burned off that bun hours ago," Bolin said, leaning over the railing of the cramped porch. "Maybe we should invite her to sit with us for dinner, Mako. She could tell us what she did to get into Tenzin's office without getting caught. You have to admit that's an impressive feat."

"We don't want to get in trouble with Instructor Tenzin. He might not want us interrupting her," Mako reasoned. The sun was about to set and Korra had been running since noon. Tenzin demanded she start running around the training grounds until she 'learned the difference between where his office was and where she'd be sleeping after she ran off every carb of his food'.

Despite her strange behavior, Mako didn't entirely fault her for eating food that wasn't her own. There were far too many times where he and Bolin had to result to stealing food from an unsuspecting person. With few people unable to take in two out of thousands of refugees in need of work and food, poverty was all the two brothers would know for a long time. Once they gained employment by the Triple Threat Triads, they rarely went to sleep clutching their stomachs from hunger pains.

"Come on, Bolin, we don't want to be late for dinner." The elder brother began ushering his sibling to the dining building.

"Shouldn't we save something for Korra? She might miss dinner if Tenzin doesn't let up on her soon," Bolin said, staring after the increasingly slowing trainee in the distance.

"We can't afford to worry about her," Mako said in an annoyed tone, clasping his brother's wrist to pull him forward. Bolin leaned backwards, slightly resisting his brother's guidance. He may have been the younger one, but the twelve year old was bulky enough to make the leaner Mako struggle to tug him.

"But she's our teammate," Bolin whined. "We're going to train with her and learn how to use 3D gear together. We should at least help her out a little. Maybe she'll remember the one loaf of bread we gave her and she'll swoop in to save us from a Titan to thank us."

At this, Mako whipped around, his lips forming a tight line. Bolin's words instantly silenced, looking at everything but his brother.

"You know. . . _If_ we ever need some backup. . . in case there's another attack," he stumbled ashamedly, twiddling his thumbs.

Mako took a breath and let out a sigh

"Bolin," Mako gently rested his hands on Bolin's shoulders. "why did we join the military?"

"To earn respect and contribute to society," he said, repeating his brother's words from the day they learned about recruitment.

"And?" Mako asked expectantly.

"To serve in the Military Police far away from the Titans," Bolin surrendered, raising his saddened green eyes to meet his brother's golden ones. "Mako, I'm sorry I didn't mean- it was just a crazy thought I had, that's all."

"I know you mean well, Bolin. But we have to stay focused. The Military Police only goes to the ten best students, so we have to give training everything we've got to make it. I promised I would protect you, but I can't do that if you're always distracted by other people's problems. Please Bolin, stay focused for me. I know you can do it," Mako said earnestly. He gave his brother a rare, soft expression of endearment. At this, Bolin allowed a smile back, grateful that his sibling wasn't truly angry, only worried like any older brother would be.

"Yeah, we'll show 'em!" Bolin laughed, wrapping an arm around Mako's shoulder. "We'll make Tenzin so impressed with us that he'll send us right to the king himself."

"There you go," Mako smiled, squeezing his brother momentarily with his own arm. The two continued to the dining hall with renewed purpose in their hearts.

* * *

"What were they like?" an intensely curious trainee asked.

"Well, I'm not the best person to ask about that," Bolin admitted bashfully. "I only saw them from a distance, but they were kind of big and really ugly looking people if people were over ten meters tall."

By accident, several people around the brothers had overheard that they were there at the fall of Wall Kyoshi. Bolin tried to ward away any questions from Mako, knowing he preferred not to talk about that day. However, since Bolin had been near the exit gate chatting with the Military Police at the time, he barely got a glimpse of the Titans. After Mako found him, they immediately made their way to a boat that carried them away from the carnage. Bolin turned around once to see a number of Titans enter the second hole created by the mysterious Armored Titan, but Mako made him look away and cover his ears.

"What about you?" another trainee insisted, directly looking at Mako. "You were there, weren't you?"

Bolin grinned nervously, giving his brother an apologetic look. Mako lightly lifted his hand, indicating to his brother that he would be fine.

"Yes, I was there, but there's nothing to hear that you haven't already heard from everyone else. They're monsters and that's all there is to it," Mako said shortly. "Besides, we won't have to worry about them when we join the Military Police."

"Why?" a new voice sounded.

Mako followed the voice to the next table over. It was Korra, her blue eyes piercing him. Somehow after all of that running she had enough energy left in her to make her voice cut through the rest of the noise.

"Why what?"

"Why would you bother learning how to kill a Titan when you're not going to fight one?" Korra demanded, a frown forming. Mako met her questioning stare with a firm look. He wouldn't let his mission be deterred by someone who thought she knew what was best for them.

"These skills aren't just for killing Titans. It's training to better ourselves so we're qualified to stand by the king," Mako said. "There's no other way to get to the inner city except by being born there and it's a little late for that option."

At this, Korra's stare morphed into a disgusted glare.

"Is that really it? You're here learning how to fight only to run and hide the first chance you get? Some soldier you'll turn out to be," she scoffed. The short-haired girl next to her beckoned her to calm down.

"Korra, maybe you shouldn't make any accusations. He saw the Titans up close," she reasoned, trying to compromise between the two.

"That's just it, Opal. He saw the Titans take his home and yet he refuses to fight back!" Korra retorted.

At that, Mako put his foot down. This girl sure knew how to get under his skin.

"You'd think I'd ever want to see a Titan again? After they took everything but my brother away from me?" he hissed at her. His hand reached up to touch his scarf, holding it close to him.

"I would think that you would want to take back what they stole! You're letting them push you around just like they herd up the rest of humanity like hunters do to tiger seals!" she yelled, standing up and stalking her way to him.

"What would you know about it?" Mako said angrily. The crowd rushed to back away as the two rushed each other, standing face to face. "The Water Tribe's never had a breach. You've never seen what they can do."

"Really?" she snorted sarcastically. "Me and my tribesman are trapped hunting within the walls. And it gets smaller every year when there's more and more people to feed. I won't run away like a coward from them! I'll join the Survey Corps and kill them all myself if I have too, even if people like you are too scared to fight for our freedom."

A tense staring contest following. Neither wavered, both heated past their boiling point. Many trainees around them leaned forward, expected a fistfight to break out. The tension was cut in two by the front door of the dining hall creaking open. Korra and Mako whipped their heads to the sound and their expressions were that of a startled fox antelope when it they realized that their instructor was glaring at the both of them.

"You couldn't make it one day without causing a ruckus? Even my one year old is better behaved than you kids. If I were you, I would sit down and eat quietly for the rest of the night, unless the both of you want to eat the rest of your meal in my office," Tenzin warned them.

Stubbornly, the two of them gave one final glare before storming back to their seats. The heat of embarrassment rolled off of Mako and it wasn't made any better by Bolin whispering to him,

"Sooo, her friend Opal seems pretty cute. Want to introduce me sometime?"

" _Not now, Bolin_."

* * *

The two avoided each other for the most part after that incident. Korra would huff in an annoyed tone if Mako was within earshot and Mako would pretend not to hear anything. If they so much as passed each other, Mako could feel an increasing number of eyes turning to stare at the two, almost as if they were still expecting a physical fight to break out.

Whether because they both didn't want to bother with one another or because Mako was too busy spending every moment thinking about how to improve his training, he almost forgot about the incident most of the time. Mulling over an argument with a complete stranger wasn't worth his time.

Within a week, the trainees were gathered around the practice rig. Their task was to strap on the harnesses that would hold their 3D maneuver gear and gain a sense of balance as the rig held them in the air by two wires. While waiting alongside Bolin, Mako observed the trainees closely. The ones that could stay balanced were the ones he narrowed in on and studied. He would get this right the first time if he learned from everyone else's mistakes.

 _That girl is relaxed and looks like she's sitting in a chair. No problem, just relax into it._

 _But that guy has his arms and legs spread out. Am I supposed to stay balanced by reaching out?_

 _Don't lean too far forward or I'll hit my head on the ground. That one is pretty obvious._

"Relax, you'll be fine," a voice said to him.

Mako turned and his eyes widened in recognition. It was the girl with black hair from the first day, the one that Tenzin passed by. He never did see her again until just now.

She gave him an assuring smile.

"Don't worry so much about it. I can see you tensing up just looking at these people," she said. She then held out her hand. "Asami."

"Mako. And thanks for the tip," Mako replied thankfully, shaking her hand. "I'm just trying to figure this out. I've never actually seen 3D gear being used up close before."

"It's not that hard once you get the hang out it. Balancing it a little different for everybody, but you just have to find your center and your instincts will take over," Asami explained politely.

Bolin leaned around Mako and peered at Asami curiously.

"I'm Bolin, the charming brother of Mako," he introduced himself quickly. "Have you gone up there to try it out yet?"

"I'll go right now to demonstrate," she said casually, tucking her long hair behind her ear.

She did not fail to impress. Within moments of being lifted, Asami was completely balanced and relaxed in the rig. She gave the brothers a friendly smile. Bolin let out an excited 'wow!' and Mako couldn't help but grin. Maybe he could get some tips from this girl. She clearly knew her way around the 3D gear.

Down by the next rig, Korra had noticed the speed with which Asami had mastered the 3D gear.

"It's not a competition," Opal reminded her.

"If she can do it that fast, then I can do it too," Korra decided, marching up to the rig to try it next.

After being hooked to the wire by her harness, the wire grew taut and lifted her body off the ground. She wobbled at first, resisting the temptation to grab the wire. However, she pushed herself to find balance in the air. Korra held her arms out, distributing her weight and steadying herself.

Korra was as immovable as a stone.

"I did it!" she whooped, throwing her arms up in the air laughing.

In front of her, Opal smiled joyfully at her friend's success.

"Well done, Korra!"

"Look at that," someone said in awe. Korra realized that Instructor Tenzin had moved to stand by her rig and observe her progress. She dropped her smile, wondering if he was being sarcastic or not.

"You have the makings for a great soldier, Korra," he said genuinely, a softer expression filling his face.

"I didn't know you were a total softie, Tenzin," Korra joked, beaming at his compliment.

"Oh, I'll still send you running around the camp if you act out. But a man can still appreciate his student's accomplishments," Tenzin said, stroking his beard.

From in front of the next rig over, Bolin had pointed out how quickly Korra had balanced to Mako, excited that another trainee was getting the hang of the technique. Mako raised an eyebrow.

 _I have to admit, she's good at what she does._

The boy agreed with his brother, noticing that even Asami went out of her way to call to Korra and compliment her. Korra gave a big smile back to Asami, declaring that she wouldn't let a little balance trouble hold her back. He let out a sigh, hoping that she wouldn't let her talent go to her head.

 _Hopefully her confidence won't kill her outside the walls._

* * *

"Hey."

Korra halted, making full eye contact with Mako instead of ignoring him like she tried to just a moment ago. The two had spotted each other later that night on their way back to their cabins after dinner. Unfortunately for them, the paths they walked were exactly past each other.

Deciding to end this game, Mako spoke up before Korra could fully pass him. Her blue eyes stared him down, the torchlight illuminating them.

"That balancing on the wires earlier? That was-" 'Not bad' was what he was tempted to say, but he could already hear Bolin's insistence that he not return to the cabin until he pick his words more carefully. "Pretty good."

Korra pursed her lips, considering her options. After determining that Mako was in no way mocking her, she responded,

"You weren't too bad yourself. You only almost fell on your face once." She gave him a smirk as if laughing at her own joke.

"Thanks?" he said, slightly confused at once he should say next.

"Hey, lighten up a little," she said, bumping his shoulder with her fist. "You don't always have to be so serious, Brooding Boy. If you really want to make it to the Military Police, you'll have to get up to my level."

"Oh yeah?" Mako chuckled. "I bet when we're done with training, I'll get exactly one rank above you."

"And I'm thinking that I'll get one rank above you seeing as I'm a quick learner," she placed her hands on her hips, challenging him with every word.

"Don't get too comfortable yet. We're just getting started," Mako said. "I'm going to head off to sleep, have to make sure that Bolin- my brother- actually goes to sleep."

"Tell him he doesn't have to worry about me coming after you anymore," Korra joked, starting towards her cabin. "See you around, Mako."

"Good night, Korra," he said after her. Making his way to his cabin, he felt a moment of clarity.

 _Korra, huh? Maybe she's not so crazy after all._

* * *

"Hey Mako?" she started awkwardly.

"Yeah, Korra?" he replied. She wasn't normally this hesitant. What was she going to say?

Since their chat that night, the two treated each other like one would any acquaintance. Bolin was ecstatic about them talking because he both got to meet the awesome girl who was a natural at everything related to fighting and her friend Opal, who Bolin seemed to be eager to listen to every word she had to say and determined to compliment her on how sweet she was every day.

"We're didn't join the military to meet girls, Bolin," Mako had chastised him.

"Like you don't think Korra's gorgeous," Bolin waggled his eyebrow, to which Mako rolled his eyes.

Finding a girl endearing was one thing. Claiming to know where the nearby lake was and taking her on a late night stroll to said lake and not returning hours later was another.

When Bolin didn't return from 'using the bathroom' before bedtime, Mako set out to look around camp for him. He eventually went to Korra's cabin to see if Bolin had been chatting with Opal in her cabin. Korra informed him about his outing with Opal and that he planned to walk with her to a lake nearby. It was then that Asami piped up and said that Bolin had confessed to her yesterday that he didn't actually know how to get to the lake.

Knowing that the woods were difficult to navigate at night, they came up with a plan: Mako and Korra would follow the path all the way to the lake and call out to Opal and Bolin in the hopes that they weren't too far off the path. Asami and Kuvira, Korra's other roommate, would tell Instructor Tenzin what happened and set up search parties around the entrance of the woods.

After well over two hours of searching and winded by the exhausting day of training, Mako and Korra sat by the edge of the lake to rest. If they were lucky, the lost trainees would show up and they could head back to the cabin.

"I just wanted to apologize. For when I called you a coward before," Korra apologized. After searching for his beloved brother with him, she decided to take it a step further and mend what had been said in their argument. She saw how dedicated he was to his family and realized that he wasn't the spineless person she assumed he was on the first day.

At this, Mako's eyes softened. He was still deathly worried over his brother, but this was a welcome surprise in a stressful situation.

"I appreciate that," he said earnestly, his voice hoarse from calling Bolin's name so many times. "All I want is to keep my brother safe. And the only way I can think to do that is to join the Military Police. It's the closest thing we can get to as safe, being in the most interior of the walls."

"It may be safe, but it won't change anything," she said softly.

"What about you? Why are you so anxious to be a Scout? Does fighting the Titans in their own territory sound like fun to you?" he half-joked. Why anyone would seek out a fight a Titan was beyond him.

"Well, I have a polar bear dog, Naga, and she loves to run," she started.

Mako blinked once. Anyone who had a giant polar bear dog for a pet _had_ to be crazy.

"I always took her running all the way up to the wall, even though my mom said not to. Some days, I could hear them lumbering around in the distance. It's because of them that so many people died when the wall broke and it's because of them that we've had to start transitioning from hunting for our food to trading away what little we have to get low-end food from the Earth Kingdom," she explained, clenching her fist.

"No matter what, we're still trapped," she continued. "Someday, I want to be free to take Naga running wherever she feels like without being afraid."

"How did you convince your parents to let you join?" he asked. It seemed her mother was protective of her. Did Korra not tell them of her plans to join the Scouting Legion?

"My uncle convinced them. He and my dad didn't get along the best, but Unalaq somehow pulled through for me. He always said he wanted to see me do great things in the military, even though my dad said I wasn't the best with authority figures," she smiled nostalgically.

Mako nodded understandingly. Korra seemed to hold great respect for the adults in her life, just not ones she didn't trust as much.

"I bet he's proud of you," Mako said.

"I like to think so. He died right before I left, so he never even got to see me leave home. Well, what about you? How'd you convince your parents?" she asked.

"I didn't."

Mako pulled his scarf over his mouth, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"The day the wall broke. . . we ran as fast as we could to the gate. We were going to find Bolin with the MP's there and escape together. But a Titan came around the corner and grabbed them."

"Mako. . . I didn't know."

"It ate them, right in front of me. I was only eight. And the only thing I have left of them is my father's scarf. After that, I promised to protect Bolin with everything I had."

Korra waited for a few moments, trying to find the right words to say. Then she settled on her uncle's words before he vanished from her life.

"No matter where you two go, I know you'll be great soldiers. And your parents are so proud of you, Mako," she reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you Korra. You'' be great at taking out those Titans," he said earnestly.

"I'd get the job done faster if someone as loyal as you fought with me. Bolin has a pretty great brother." Korra's eyes glittered in the moonlight and Mako nearly fell into them again.

At that moment, a smoke signal shot into the air closer to the main camp. The two stood up and smiled ecstatically.

"Someone found them!" Korra hollered. "Come on, Mako! Let's go!" She took off running and Mako stared after her, quickly following suit.

"I'm right behind you."

* * *

"I listen to Tenzin talk about how the gear is built and everything, but I just can't do it!" Korra vented. After so many hours poured into trying to fix her damaged gear, Korra just couldn't find what was wrong.

Asami leaned over her gear, mulling over each piece on the wooden table.

"Don't stress about it. I'll lend you a hand. Some parts of training will just take a little longer than others," she reassured her friend. Sitting down on a stool, she tucked her hair back and got to work. "You know it took me three weeks to be able to balance on the 3D gear?"

"What? No, you had it down on the first day of training," Korra said with a puzzled expression. She shifted her belt closer to Asami so she could get a better look.

"Oh no," Asami chuckled. "My dad had me learn how to use the gear when I was nine. He helped improved it since he was mentored by the man who invented it."

As she talked, she lifted up the necessary tool and began adjusting the internal gears with ease. Korra watched her carefully, trying to follow what she was doing. With Asami's careful instructions, she better understood why her equipment wasn't working properly.

"You're pretty cool Asami," Korra complimented the engineer, impressed by her mechanical expertise.

"That's sweet of you to say," Asami smiled. "You're pretty cool yourself."

The two spent some time fixing Korra's gear. The next day, Tenzin was almost flabbergasted that Korra's gear was working better than new.

"And here she was nearly crashing into trees yesterday," he muttered.

* * *

"I don't get it? Why does everyone always look at me like I just kicked a baby?" Korra griped.

"Probably because you come off as a little aggressive. And shouting that Hasook holds his swords like a limp noodle isn't the best conversation starter," Bolin said, trying to be helpful.

"Well he does," Korra said honestly. "Tenzin's always telling me that my teamwork could use some improvement, but no one ever listens to me. Is it that hard to actually hit deeper into the nape when you're not doing it right?"

"Well, to get others to listen to you, you have to trust that they know what they're doing and listen to them too. How about this? If you help me to make it up to Opal after getting us lost in the woods, I'll help you out with your social skills. I am known to be quite the charmer," Bolin offered, waggling his eyebrow.

"Alright," Korra giggled. "You got yourself a deal, but don't expect Opal to throw herself at you. She thinks you're cute, but she isn't impressed by any big gestures. Just be casual."

The two friends strode off together, determined to help each other improve in their dealings with their fellow trainees.

* * *

"So wait, the vanguard would stay by the breach, but not actually kill many of the Titans?" Korra asked, still puzzled by the Garrison formation logistics.

"Right. It'll help keep Titans from wandering further from the breach. It's a lot easier to keep a large group of them distracted by moving quickly rather than using all of your gas to bring them all down," Mako explained patiently. He had been tutoring Korra on different strategies the branches of the military used. If she was going to fight Titans, she may as well learn how to do it right.

"I suppose that makes sense. And the middle guard would actually take out any that got past the vanguard?" she asked, her eyes glittering with excitement.

"If you mean that's where more of the action is, then yes, that's where you want to be," Mako said, knowing what Korra was getting at. Despite still being set on the Military Police, Mako couldn't help but admire Korra's complete determination and bravery in wanting to fight the Titans for the sake of all the civilians.

From their place on the porch of Mako's cabin, they noticed an odd sight. Instructor Tenzin was walking by, but he had company with him. A young girl, much too young to be a trainee, was hanging off of Tenzin's shoulders. An even younger boy, barely a toddler, sat on his shoulders, tugging mercilessly on the man's ears. On his side, a girl no older than nine was holding up a book to Tenzin's view, likely telling him all the twists and turns of the plot. Tenzin seemed to look years younger with the happiness clear on his face.

"Are those-" Korra started incredulously. "Are those his kids?!"

As if to answer her question, a woman came into view, one who wore casual, non-military clothing. The girls shouted 'mommy!' and rushed to hug her as she approached. Tenzin took her hand and the family continued walking through the camp, oblivious to the increasing numbers of trainees gawking at them.

"I heard him mention his kids before, but they're not scared of him at all," Korra said, shocked by Tenzin's new demeanor.

"I heard he was once in the Survey Corps. He's probably tough on us so we'll train harder, but easy on his kids because he doesn't get much time with them," Mako commented rationally, although he was just as surprised as everyone else to see this side of his instructor.

"Oh, I am not missing the chance to get embarrassing stories about Tenzin from his kids." Korra leapt up from her spot and chased after the family. As Mako pushed himself up to follow her and make sure she didn't get herself into too much trouble, he had a thought; A simple, but profound thought that he hadn't had in a long time.

 _It would be nice to have a bigger family again._

He shook the thought off and followed after Korra, who by this point was quickly warming the kids up to her with her fiery personality.

* * *

Mako had always believed that the breach of the outermost Wall Kyoshi was and always would be the most horrendous day of his life.

The breach of Wall Roku was a strong contender to tie with that day.

After three long years of training, Mako and Bolin had finally made it to the top ten in rank. They graduated with Kuvira, the talented adoptive sister of Opal, at the top of their class. Asami and Korra followed closely behind her. Mako, Bolin, and Opal had placed next on the tier, all of them proud to be at the top of their class. Before they could decide which military branch they would serve under, the now graduated soldiers were tasked with cleaning the equipment atop the wall outside the Omashu district.

That was when the Colossal Titan struck for the second time. When cleaning the exterior of a cannon, Mako heard flash of lightning from right behind him. He spun, then instantly froze. There it was, the Colossal Titan stood towering above the wall, staring directly at Mako and his comrades.

With a heavy kick to the wall, a new hole was created, leaving plenty of room for smaller Titans to enter the sectioned district. Mako tried to take it out before it could do any more damage, but with the release of a heavy cloud of steam, it was gone in an instant.

An emergency meeting was called and the young soldiers lined up before their commanding officer, a man named Raiko. He informed them that because the Survey Corps were currently away on an expedition the new recruits would have to fight the Titans along with the Garrison stationed in that area. The recruits were assigned their squads and ordered to set out into Omashu immediately.

Mako was assigned closer to the rear guard to evacuate citizens where Bolin was assigned closer to the middle guard. Mako was infuriated that he couldn't be there for Bolin.

"Bolin, you listen to me. Stay on your guard at all times. Don't engage, just be quick and stay out of reach," Mako warned him, gripping his brother's shoulders tightly.

"Mako, I've got this," Bolin said, trying to stay calm. He swallowed thickly and continued. "Korra's in my squad. With the two of us together, we'll be fine, you'll see."

Korra soon approached to fetch Bolin and met Mako's stare.

"Korra, _keep him safe_." It wasn't an order. It was a plea from one friend to another.

Korra nodded solemnly.

"I'll protect him with everything I've got."

"Mako! We have to go! Evacuation is slowing down!" Asami called desperately from nearby, having also been assigned to help the rear guard with Mako.

"I'll be right there!" he responded back. He held Bolin close and the two brothers didn't let go of each other for a long moment. As they pulled back, they all exchanged looks of finality. Bolin turned away first to start towards his assigned position. Korra found Mako's eyes. A sentimentality not commonly seen in her appeared in her expression.

"You be careful too," she said quietly.

"You too," he replied, his voice strained.

Korra turned away to stay closely behind Bolin. Mako watched them both leave, praying to the spirits that they, and everyone else, would make it through this nightmarish day.

* * *

Once every citizen had been safely evacuated out of the city, Asami and Mako rushed to find their fellow soldiers. Both were silent, already knowing who they hoped was still alive in this chaos.

They settled on a rooftop, where many soldiers were too grief-stricken to move. Many were curled up in balls on the tiles. Others simply stared blankly at the grey horizon, their emotions completely drained. No amount of training could have prepared them for the horrors of the battlefield.

"Has anyone seen Bolin?" Mako yelled, hoping to get someone's attention. One trainee who was still responsive, Tahno, vaguely pointed by the edge of the rooftop. Mako rushed to his brother, his chest feeling lighter instantly.

"Bolin! Bolin!" he called out.

At the sound of his brother's name, Bolin immediately stiffened up.

At that moment, dread struck Mako again. He realized that Opal was trying to comfort his brother without crying. She stepped back to stand by Asami as Mako knelt by his brother.

"Bolin, I'm so glad you're okay. What happened?"

Then it hit him. Someone was missing.

"Wait, where's Korra?"

At that, Bolin's head shot up, his red, puffy eyes the only thing he needed to see to confirm the worst.

Mako grew cold. His eyes lost their momentary joy.

"M-Mako, I'm so s-s-sorry," Bolin sputtered, sobbing in between breaths. "Hasook got caught- then I didn't- couldn't move."

The boy took in a deep breath so he could stop shuddering for a moment.

"I was in its mouth, but K-Korra saved me and- oh Mako I'm so sorry I c-could've-"

Mako placed a hand on Bolin's knee, halting his brother's crying. His blank expression seemed to frighten Bolin even more than he already was.

"Bolin, we have to keep moving. We'll die if we stay here," he ordered emotionlessly. He stood up, dragging Bolin onto his feet by his arm. Bolin wiped at his nose with his sleeve.

Asami grit her teeth, tears openly shedding down her cheeks. She mustered a deep breath and addressed the cadets surrounding them.

"Everyone, listen up! We need to restock on gas for our tanks and start evacuating. We start by making it to headquarters over there," she began, pointing her sword at the tall building towards the western edge of the city. "Here's how we'll do it. . ."

Mako could barely hear Asami. It was as if his ears were filled with cotton. This all had to be one elaborate nightmare. None of this could be real. Korra couldn't be gone. Her vibrancy, her bullheadedness, her loud laugh, her eyes, joys like that didn't simply vanish from this world.

This was the stake in life he was given. He could only keep room in his heart for Bolin. Another person would simply tear it out. But training with her had made Mako forget that rule. He needed Korra in his life, but it was too late.

She gave her life to save his brother and he could never repay that.

* * *

"What is _that_?"

On their way to the safety of headquarters, an abnormal Titan suddenly appeared. Instead of leaping into the air or sprinting to catch the cadets, this Titan ignored humans altogether. As if that wasn't the strangest part, they witnessed something they thought impossible: this Titan killed other Titans.

With a shriek of fury, the Titan rushed at a small swarm and decimated them within seconds, biting viciously at the back of the necks and sending their heads flying with a well-aimed punch.

"Maybe she could be of a help to us," Opal suggested to the group.

"She?" Tahno said sarcastically.

"She has a female looking body, now's not the time to focus on semantics," Opal said, clearly annoyed. "Look, there are lots of Titans surrounding headquarters. If we lead her there, she could clear us a path."

"What then? Maybe the Titan will come after us the moment it runs out of Titans to fight," Kuvira said curtly, keeping a close eye on the abnormal.

"Right now, we're desperate and running low on gas. We don't have much of a choice," Asami said. She knew that their chances of making it were low, but they didn't have many other options.

"It should work," Mako spoke up for the first time. "We'll let her take care of the Titans and everyone should be able to make it through safely."

"I have the most gas," Bolin piped up. "I'll lead the Titan to fight the others. Opal, you're agile. Can you find the safest and shortest path for everyone to take?"

At this, Mako almost objected and demanded he take his brother's place. But he barely had any gas left. He couldn't do his brother's job for him.

"Of course I can," Opal said, mustering up as much confidence as she could.

His brother could stand on his own two feet. Mako couldn't be selfish and risk letting anyone else die. No one else would die like Korra did.

"I'll take the rear as backup in case anyone runs into trouble," Kuvira offered.

"Bolin."

Everyone went quiet, allowing the brothers a moment.

"You can do this," Mako said reassuringly, faint traces of a smile coming back to his lips. Bolin beamed at his brother and saluted him.

"I won't let you down," he declared.

Mako saluted him back. Before he jumped into action, Mako stole one last glance at the abnormal. Her brown hair swayed with every kick and her stride was strong as she rushed at another Titan.

 _Why do I. . . Nevermind, stay focused._

He leapt off the roof and shot out his wires, ready to lead everyone to safety.

He would protect them in her stead.

* * *

After getting the remaining cadets out of the Titan-infested area, many stayed to watch the abnormal, as an interesting development came about.

The Titan that killed Hasook appeared and the moment that the abnormal spotted it, she went into a fury-induced rage. Throwing off the Titans clinging to her, she rushed at the offending Titan and pummeled her fists into its face until it was nothing more than a bloodstain on the ground.

After expending so much energy, the abnormal finally collapsed. She fell face first to the ground and began to let off steam. Soon, she would evaporate into nothingness. But the back of her neck burst open and a lone figure emerged, disoriented and nearly unconscious.

Mako couldn't believe his eyes. It had to be a cruel trick.

He swung onto the back of the fallen Titan and let his legs carry him to the figure. The girl swayed and fell right into his arms. In that moment, he knew she was real.

Korra was _alive_. She was out cold, but thank the spirits alive. By some act of the providence she was safe. Mako pulled her close to his chest, a shudder shooting through his lungs. He let out a relieved sob, the tears beginning to crawl down his cheeks.

"You're okay," he whispered, unsure if he was saying it to himself or to her. "I'm here."

* * *

After many years of fighting and using her Titan form to reclaim the land that was lost 11 years ago, another development shattered Korra's world.

A secret room in her uncle's house had been discovered after many searches. The Survey Corps came across a journal that detailed how Unalaq had injected Korra with a serum that allowed her to become a Titan. He did this in the hopes that she would defeat all who opposed his plans for his children to dominate the Southern Water Tribe. He never expected Korra to choose her own path and defy every lie he had ever filled her head with.

But the power came with a terrible cost. Anyone injected with a Titan form was doomed to die in thirteen years.

Korra was seventeen when she learned of this condition, this curse.

She and Mako sat in silence for a long time, trying to comprehend what this meant for the remainder of her lifespan.

"What now?" Korra asked, completely uncertain if she could do everything she wanted to do before her life ran out.

Mako gazed intensely at her, then took her hand in his. Her blue eyes met his golden ones, trying to find meaning in his actions.

"Korra, will you marry me?"

Korra gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Tears filled her eyes and she tried to wipe away at them so Mako wouldn't misinterpret her sadness.

"We'll only get nine years together. We're both so young and you said you wanted a large family before, I can't just leave you and our children like that. And Dad will have your head for asking me this so soon-" she rambled. She was afraid of shattering him further by becoming his wife.

"Korra, I'm willing to accept that if it means we can be together. I'm in love with you and I want to appreciate every moment I can with you," he declared, feeling complete calm. Before this revelation, he had mulled over how many years of dating her would it be acceptable to start talking about marriage. Now, he knew his home was with Korra.

Korra gave him a loving smile, wiping away the remainder of her tears.

"In that case, let's make every day count."

She firmly squeezed his hand, giving him her final answer.

"Yes."

* * *

It always rained the days he visited her gravestone. He supposed that was only natural, as she grew up on the shore of an icy continent.

He talked with her about a multitude of things. How Asami's invention of the train was beginning to take off across the countryside. How Bolin and Opal's children were the pride and joy of the Beifong family. How Tenzin's children were the finest members of the army of their generation.

How much their children missed their mommy.

How the world was always so quiet without her.

Despite all of the pain of loss in his life, Mako held tightly to the joys that Korra had given him. Her love would continue to spark a light in his heart for the years to come. And one day, when they finally reunited, he would look into her blue eyes with as much awe as the first day he met her.


End file.
